Velocipede



(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Shet 1 D. H. RICE.

VELOGIPEDE. No. 357,691. Patented Feb. 15., 1887.

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' D. H. RICE.

, VELOGIPEDE.

No. 357,691. Patented Feb. 15, 1887.

nun n11] lhvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID HALL RICE, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

VELOCI PEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,691, dated February 15, 1887,

' Application filcdDeccmber18,1S86. ScrialNn.22L919.

of Massachusetts, have invented a new and' useful Improvement in Velocipe'des, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to velocipedes; and it consists in certain new and useful constructions and combinations of the various parts of the same, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a velocipede provided with my improved constructions. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the backbone upon line so mof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same on line 1/ 3/ of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view ofa part of the frame of the machine and the clutch-box and wheel-disk, partly in section, to show the arrangement of the ball-bearings and their adjusting mechanism. Fig. 5 is a side view of the opposite clutch-box and adjusting mechanism for the ball-bearings. Fig. 6 is a view of the clutchbox shown in Fig. 4, with the outer cover removed to exhibit the construction of the ratchet mechanism. Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the clutch box shown in Fig 4, on line 2 z of Fig. 6.

XV is the large wheel of the velocipede, and

w is the small wheel, the latter being in front of the large one. It is an important object to have the backbone B curved, both as affording strength and being more graceful in appearance; but with the straight steering-shaft O of this type of velocipede connected directly onto the small wheel it has heretofore been supposed to be impossible to accomplish this. I have, however, discovered that by flattening and elongating the backbone B where the shaft 0 passes through it the latter may be carried downward inside of it and the curved 'form of the backbone, especially upon its outer (No model.)

pass through it, while preserving its curved shape. A sleeve, 7), projects upward from the backbone around thesteering-rod O and serves to steady the latter and prevent its being bent or broken. This sleeve is braced by the bracket I), attached to the backbone, through the outer end of which it passes.

In Figs. 4 and are shown the mode of constructing and adjusting the ball-bearings upon which the main driving-wheel runs. The machine to which these improvements are applied is .that patented to D. H. and L. H. Rice August 24, 1886, No. $8,057, to which reference may be had for a full description of the mode of connecting the opposite ratchetdrums to each other and operating them, as well as the general construction of the frame and supporting parts, it being understood, however, that the construction of the frame is improved in the present invention.

This improvement consists in forming the part F of the frame in the shape of a continuous piece extending downward around and below the hub of the driving-Wheel, and in forming the outside members, f, ofthe frame, which support the rod 0 in one piece, and clamping or bolting them by the bolisf to the part F above and below the clutch'drums, thereby greatly simplifying the construction, and, while holding the rod 0 substantially in the manner described in said former patent, facilitating the removal and replacement of the drums and their working parts when desired.

The ball-bearings are supported around the hub w of the wheel WV in the following manner: Through the flange 'w of the wheel-hub are tapped from its inside screws 00 extending through the flange, as shown. A hardened steel ring, 7", is slipped over the whcel-hub against the flange being provided with countersunk recesses,which receive the ends ofthe screws 20 and hold the ring 1 in position, preventing its turning on the hub. This ring 9" is formed on its exterior with a shouldered face in the form of a curved incline adapted to receive the balls at a and sustain the weight of the frame upon the wheel, as shown. A second outer hardened steel ring, r, is placed in the recess in the frame F, which is formed to receive it, and is hollowed with a corresponding curved incline to fit upon the outer sides of the balls of the ball- ICO bearing and complete the same so far as necessary to support the frame. This steel ring r is also threaded on its exterior to receive a gage-ring, a, which is screwed upon its exterior and serves to regulate the distance to which the screws 20 can press the rings 9" 'r together. The gage-ring 2' has aprojeeting edge extending radially outside between the frame F and the wheel V, and in such a position that a spanner can be applied to it to set itin and out upon the ring 1', the latter being held from turning in the frame by small dowelstuds placed in recesses in it and the frame in the ordinary manner. By means of the gagering i and the screws to the rings 7" 1* may be adjusted to or from each other with any desired degree of nicety, and the bearing is also rendered dust-proof. The screws 20 are to be operated by a long screw driver reaching through between the spokes of the wheel from the opposite side, or by passing the hand through between the spokes of the wheel and reaching inward and turning them with a short screwdriver. This construction of ball-bearingis an adaptation of that patented to me in the Letters Patent No. 322,482, dated July 21, 1885, to the present form of veloeipede, and its chief value arises from the screws being operated from inside of the wheel, thereby enabling me to obtain a perfect adjustment without disturbing the clutch-drums and frame outside of the ball-bearings. Each of the ball-bearings on the opposite sides of the wheel \V may be provided with this adjusting mechanism, if desired; but it will be observed that the adj usting of the bearing on one side of the wheel serves to adjust that upon the other side at the same time, which is of considerable advantage.

In order that the pawls of the clutch-drums may be worked with certainty and celerity as the drums reciprocate around the hub w of the wheel, I have devised the following governing mechanism for moving the pawls. The clutch-box D is provided with a cover, d, upon its outer face, secured to it by bolts and inclosing the clutch mechanism within it and serving as an outer shell, upon which and the inner shell of the clutch-box the latter revolves freely around the hub 10 of the wheel. A ratchet, e, is attached firmly to the hub 20 of the wheel. and alongside of this ratchet a loose disk, 0, is slipped over the wheel-hub and revolves freely around it. The pawlsp p are mounted in sockets in the outer shell of the drum, which are so formed as to sustain the pawls against their thrust when they are engaged with the ratchet. These pawls 12 have an extension on one side projecting over the disk 0', and to each extension is attached a lever, 19 which extends radially inward and projects into a notch, 0 in the disk 6', as shown in Fig. 6. The notch c in this disk is so formed as to leave play enough to the end of the lever p to allow the pawl to be lifted out of the ratchet when the disk is turned in one direction and to come against the lever and draw the pawl down into the ratchet when the disk is turned in the opposite direction. The pawls p p are sustained in position by pivots p 1;, upon ,which they are fitted with sufficient looseness to allow the socket behind them to take the thrust and relieve the pivots from its strain.

The operation of the parts is as follows: Suppose the pawls to be in the position shown in Fig. 6, and the wheel and its attached ratchet e to be running in the direction of the arrow, and the drum D to be reversed, carrying itself and its attached pedal upward and winding the pedal strap upon the drum. I The reversing of the pawl brings the loose disk 6 to bear upon the levers p 1) of the pawls and lifts them out of the ratchets, the levers carrying the disk 6 around with the drum backward and holding the pawls out of engagement with the ratchet-teeth. Upon the motion of the drum D being reversed, and it being moved in the direction of the arrow at a more rapid rate than the ratchete and wheelhub w, the disk 6, acting upon the levers, draws the pawls into engagement with the ratchet-s instantly and insures the seating of the points of the pawls fully and squarely behind the ratchet-teeth.

What I claim as new and of my invention 1s 1. In a veloeipede havingthesteering-wheel ahead of the rider, in combination with the curved backbone B, flattened in a direction radial to the driving-wheel, the straight steering shaft G,passing through said flattened portion of the curved backbone, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the frame F, the wheel provided with projecting hub 10 and flange w, the adj ustiug -screws w, passing through the said flange from its interior surface, the internal ball-bearing ring, 1-, the external ball-bearing ring, r, and the gage-ring a, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the driving-wheel provided with the projecting hub 10, the driving-drum D, mounted upon said hub,the frame F, projecting downward around said hub and below said drum, the supplemental frame f, formed in one piece, surrounding said drum and attached to the frame F by bolts f f above and below the drum, and the internal rod, 0, supported by said auxiliary frame f, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the wheel-hub extension 10, the ratchet 0 attached thereto, the

loose disk a, mounted on said extension and DAVID HALL RICE.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM P. BLAKE, N. P. OCKINGTON. 

